2013 Conference

2013 Conference

About the 2013 Conference

Co-Hosted by the African Wildlife Foundation and the Kenya Tourism Board, ESTC13 was held from September 24-27, 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya at the Safari Park Hotel. Attended by tourism industry professionals from over 40 countries, ESTC13 featured dynamic sessions, public forums and social functions offering eye-opening insights into the latest on sustainable business strategies and unparalleled networking and knowledge-sharing experiences.

ESTC13 Featured Speakers

Mr. Costas Christ, Editor at Large, National Geographic Traveler

Costas Christ is an award-winning editor and columnist for National Geographic Traveler. He is one of the world's top sustainable tourism experts, whose work and travels have taken him to over 125 countries, including more than a decade living in East Africa. Since 2004, Costas has served as the Chairman for the World Travel and Tourism Council - Tourism for Tomorrow Awards which recognize sustainable tourism best practices among destinations and travel companies around the world. He is a member of the Advisory Board of World Travel Market - World Responsible Tourism Day. Costas has also been recognized together with Jane Goodall, Sir Richard Branson, Ted Turner, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs as one of 50 Global Visionaries working to save the planet.

NBC Today Show said: "For the past 30 years, Costas been at the leading edge of the green travel movement, since way before it was ever called 'green' or even a movement." He is a Contributing Writer for Virtuoso Life Magazine, and serves as Director of Sustainability for Virtuoso Ltd., one of the world's largest business to business travel trade networks. Costas' articles and essays have appeared in many top publications, including the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, and Sunday Times of London.

He frequently appears on television and radio to talk about travel trends and emerging destinations including appearances on Travel Channel, Good Morning America, NBC Today Show, CNN International, BBC World, FOX News, National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Weekend and National Public Radio, among others. Costas is one of the pioneers of ecotourism, helping to officially define the term and serving as a founding member and former Chairman of The International Ecotourism Society.

His column in National Geographic Traveler won the NATJA Gold Prize in 2011 and Bronze Prize in 2012 for best environmental travel writing in North America. Also in 2012, Costas was nominated for the Heinz Award, among the most prestigious United States awards given to an individual for their outstanding work supporting conservation, cultural heritage and the arts. You can learn more about Costas' and his work by visiting his website at www.beyondgreentravel.com

Dr. Munir Virani, Africa Programs Director, The Peregrine Fund

Dr. Munir Virani has been researching on birds of prey for the last two decades. Munir is the Program Director for Africa and South Asia for The Peregrine Fund and a Research Associate at the National Museums of Kenya. He has published over a 100 popular and scientific articles and was awarded the Aga Khan Award for Excellence in 2002 for his work on vultures in South Asia.

He also won the Twende Africa Photographer of the Year award in 2007. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Raptor Research Foundation and is on the Editorial Board of Swara and Ostrich (The African Journal of Ornithology). He has also spoken on TED.com about his love for vultures. He lives in Nairobi with his wife and two sons and loves playing squash and cricket.

Mr. Jochen Zeitz, Founder, The Zeitz Foundation

Jochen Zeitz is Director of Kering and Chairman of the Kering board’s sustainable development committee as well as Co-Founder and Co-Chair of The B Team after having been the CEO of the Sport & Lifestyle division and Chief Sustainability Officer of Kering since 2010. Prior to this, Zeitz served 18 years as Chairman and CEO at PUMA. Upon becoming PUMA’s CEO in 1993, Zeitz turned it from an undesired brand nearing bankruptcy into one of the top 3 brands in the sporting good industry. He pioneered a ground-breaking environmental profit and loss audit (E P&L) at PUMA that puts a monetary value on the impacts across a businesses supply chain and believes in contributing to a new paradigm of corporate social and environmental sustainability.

In 2008, he founded the Zeitz Foundation for Intercultural Ecosphere Safety to support sustainable solutions that balance conservation, community development, culture, and commerce. In October 2012, Zeitz co-founded The B Team with Sir Richard Branson to help transform the future of business. Zeitz has been a member of the Board of Directors of Harley-Davidson since 2007 and has also served as the Chair of Harley-Davidson’s sustainability committee since its inception in 2011. He is also a member of the TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) Advisory Board and a Board member of Wilderness Safaris and Chair of its Sustainability Committee.

About ESTC13 Host Destination

Destination Overview

Kenya (the Republic of Kenya) lies astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. It is a medium-sized country by continental standards, covering an area of about 586,600km sq. Inland water bodies cover some 10,700km sq, the bulk of this in Lakes Victoria and Turkana. Kenya has tremendous topographical diversity, including glaciated mountains with snow-capped peaks, the Rift Valley with its scarps and volcanoes, ancient granitic hills, flat desert landscapes and coral reefs and islets.

Kenya is generally a dry country; over 75% of its area is classed as arid of semi-arid with only around 20% being viable for agriculture. Inland, rainfall and temperatures are closely related to altitude changes, with variations induced by local topography. Generally the climate is warm and humid at the coast, cool and humid in the central highlands, and hot and dry in the north and east.

Kenya's World Heritage Sites

Sites inscribed on the World Heritage List:

Cultural

Fort Jesus, Mombasa

Lamu Old Town: The oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa.

Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests: Eleven separate forest sites spread along 125 miles of Kenya's Indian Ocean coast. These forests shelter the remains of numerous fortified villages, known as kayas and revered as sacred sites, of the Mijikenda people.

Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest: The second highest peak in Africa, Mt. Kenya is an extinct volcano with rugged glacier-clad summits and forested slopes. It is one of the most impressive landscapes of Eastern Africa.

Wildlife and Safari

Kenya contains the greatest varieties and concentrations of wildlife populations in the world with more than 80 major animal species. A popular draw for visitors is the "Big Five": lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard. The "Big Five" may be the stars of Kenya's wildlife show, but the cast of millions is an unforgettable bonus. From the Mara to Amboseli, and Samburu to Lake Nakuru, each park overflows with wildlife. Other magnificent animals in Kenya include grazers such as gazelle, impala, antelope, dik-dik, sebra, wildebeest and Rothchild and Massai giraffes, the world's tallest creatures.

With serious savvy and sharp eyes, the "Little Five" can also be spotted in Kenya. This group counts the rhinoceros beetle, leopard tortoise, ant lion, buffalo weaver and elephant shrew.

Because Kenya is an the equator, the seasons are marked by shifts in rainfall rather than dramatic shifts in temperature. July to February offers the best safari conditions, with the Great Migration into the Maasai Mara generally taking place July to September. Learn more about planning a safari trip in Kenya.

ESTC13 Host Destination Sponsors

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) works to drive and support the effective promotion and marketing of Kenya's tourism products professionally and transparently while enriching the lives of Kenyans and visitors alike. KTB received the Safari Awards 2013, Best African Tourism Board in Africa; was voted Africa's leading Tourism Board 2012 in the Africa category at the 19th World Travel Awards; and won the 2010 Best National Tourism Board in Middle East, Africa & Indian Ocean category at Emirates Holidays World.

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is the leading international conservation organization focused solely on Africa. AWF believes that protecting Africa’s wildlife and wild landscapes is the key to the future prosperity of Africa and its people – and for over 50 years, they have made it their work to help ensure that Africa’s wild resources endure.